Talent & Workforce

MI2’s team connected with global industry leaders at ALUMINUM USA in Nashville, gaining fresh insights, building partnerships, and promoting Kentucky’s role as a hub for metals innovation while generating strong interest in MI2’s upcoming October conference.

MI2’s Metals Executive Roundtable in Frankfort gathered 20 industry leaders, Governor Beshear, and state officials to highlight Kentucky’s $38B metals sector, preview an upcoming economic impact study, and advance initiatives in talent, recycling, supply chain, and energy that position the state as a national leader in metals innovation.

MI2 supported the KY SWATT retreat in Elizabethtown, where seven major metals employers, educators, and state partners came together to address workforce challenges, share best practices, and launch collaborative strategies to strengthen Kentucky’s metals talent pipeline for the future.

This summer offers Kentucky businesses and partners a range of opportunities to engage in workforce and manufacturing initiatives, including KAM Off The Clock in Bowling Green, the Northern Kentucky Manufacturing Expo, the Military Hiring Academy at Fort Knox, DOE funding updates via GAIN, and KAM’s 2025 Wage & Workforce Study.

MI2 is launching the Employer Collaborative, inviting Kentucky metals companies to join a June 18 retreat in Elizabethtown to co-create stronger workforce pathways and develop a statewide strategy that directly reflects industry hiring needs.